The present invention relates generally to novelty items for displaying greeting cards and the like and, more specifically, to such a device wherein cards are attached to and suspended from an elongated support member.
It has long been a common practice for an individual or family to display greeting cards received in connection with a special event or holiday, or photographs portraying such an event. This may be accomplished by simply placing the cards on a table top or in a basket, or taping the cards to a wall or door frame. In the case of a holiday, such as Christmas, properly displayed greeting cards enhance the already decorative decor and provide an opportunity to relay greetings from the cards' authors to interested viewers. So as to not detract from their beauty and content, an orderly, aesthetically pleasing presentation of the cards and photographs is desired.
Several and various card display devices are known in the prior art, including several of the type requiring that a hook member be adhesively bonded to the article being displayed, which in turn is attached to an elongate strip of cooperating mounting material. One disadvantage of this type of device is that the card or photograph is often damaged when it is attempted to remove the hook member. Also, the hook members are not ordinarily reuseable for displaying subsequent articles. In one particular variation of this type of device, the cards are simply stapled to a vertical support strip.
Another type of card display device known in the prior art involves the provision of clip members fixedly or slidably mounted on an elongate strip, whereby cards and the like may be mounted at various locations along the length of the strip. In prior art devices of this type, the provision of a fixed number of clips on the strip, whether used or not, presents a package that is not necessarily asthetically pleasing. Furthermore, in the case of clips slidable along the strip, the clips are not detachable from the strip unless removed at either end thereof.
In many of the prior art card display devices, a visible point of attachment between the card and the support member, i.e., clips, is designed with only functional aspects in mind. Given that the display is usually intended to enhance the surrounding decor, the prior art has not adequately addressed the need for an asthetically pleasing card display device. Accordingly, it is desired to provide a card hanger that nondestructively displays a desired number of cards and the like, and is capable of presenting an asthetically pleasing package.